Do I need a vent fan in an interior laundry room?

Question

I am renovating a few rooms including an existing laundry room. It currently has one exterior window and another openable window onto an existing mudroom (which also has exterior windows).

After the renovation, the laundry will lose the exterior window as an existing bathroom is extended. The interior window into the mudroom will survive.

Does the Uniform Building Code require that a room with no exterior windows have an exhaust vent fan? Does the existence of the interior openable window into a room with exterior windows have a bearing on that? (I do realize that local regulations may vary from the Uniform Code, but my jurisdiction generally follows those regs.)

[I know there is a related question here, but I have no air conditioning and I am wondering about the additional interior window.]

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 03 '15 at 15:58

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No, this is not a code requirement for laundry rooms in dwelling units (at least in the 2012 IBC).

In fact, most dryers are essentially acting as exhaust fans when they run because they take air from the room and exhaust it outside.

answered Feb 03 '15 at 15:58

littleturtle

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score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Sep 17 '18 at 19:05

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Washington State requires a minimum 50 CFM exhaust fan in the laundry room.

edited Sep 17 '18 at 19:05

Daniel Griscom

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answered Sep 17 '18 at 17:51

Robert Doobovsky

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 31 '20 at 00:58

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The 2015 IRC (international residential code) requires a 50 cfm fan in the laundry and bath rooms - the exhaust fan is for moisture control

answered Jan 31 '20 at 00:58

Robert Doobovsky

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 03 '15 at 20:09

Whilst you're specifically asking about the Uniform Building Control, I'll add this as this answers the question for people wanting to know the answer that would be compliant with UK building regulations:

In the UK, utility rooms in newly built homes require either a continuous airflow of 8 litres per second, or a switchable (intermittent) fan capable of at least 30 litres per second. A window alone may not be sufficient to provide this sort of airflow.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 03 '15 at 03:49

As far as I know no active fan is required by code in laundry rooms. Most laundries vent the dryer outdoors which is sufficient to dissipate humidity from the room. Washers generate very little ambient moisture.

However if you intend to vent the dryer indoors then you certainly will need some form of added ventilation to distribute the moisture across a much larger space, probably using a powered fan. Dryers produce even more humidity than do bathrooms, so careful venting is essential.

score -1 · Answer 6 · edited Apr 22 '16 at 14:38

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Exhaust fans in laundry rooms are usually required when there is no exterior window in the room and the dryer to be used heats with gas power. Why? To exhaust the carbon monoxide (CO).

CO in large amounts is hazardous to humans and can cause asphyxiation/death.

edited Apr 22 '16 at 14:38

littleturtle

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answered May 09 '15 at 00:05

Blogzilla

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Do I need a vent fan in an interior laundry room?

6 Answers6